Category Archives: Fulham

Categories: England, Fulham, London

The High Society/The Union

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Photo: Roy Stacey. The Union before Dave Terry took over from Arthur Brown. Not all of the band are pictured. Left to right: Roy, Heather, Paul, Tony and Derek

Dave Terry (aka Elmer Gantry) (lead vocals)

Heather Swinson (vocals) 

Paul Brett (guitar)

Art Regis (keyboards)

Tony Priestland (alto sax)

Derek Griffiths (tenor sax)

Roy Stacey (bass)

Jim Toomey (drums)

When Arthur Brown left The Union around December 1965, the group brought in blues singer Dave Terry (aka Elmer Gantry), who’d previously worked with Stacey, Regis and Swinson in Barnes R&B band, The Impacts.

After The Impacts split up, Dave Terry worked on the folk/blues circuit with Simon Lawrence. The pair had a regular gig at Studio 51 in Leicester Square and, according to Melody Maker, played a gig there as late as 2 December 1965.

Gantry recalls that The Union worked as The High Society for a while. According to Melody Maker, The High Society played at the Pontiac in Putney on 18 December 1965 and this would have been the same band. The High Society also performed at the Galaxy (in Basingstoke Town Hall) on 19 February 1966.

Photo: Melody Maker

As The Union, the band recorded two tracks at Tony Pike’s studio in Putney – covers of “In the Midnight Hour” and “Shake” in spring 1966 which have recently surfaced on Paul Brett’s anthology CD Stone Survivor.

Photo: Melody Maker. Possible Union gig from 1966 but needs confirmation

Soon after Dave Terry left, followed in quick succession by Heather Swinson and Derek Griffiths.

Terry joined The Five Proud Walkers in June 1966 and remained with this band as they morphed into Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera. During this period, he changed his name to Elmer Gantry.

In late 1968/early 1969, after splitting with The Velvet Opera, Gantry recruited members of The Downliners Sect – Johnny Sutton, Paul Martinez, Bob Taylor and Nat Dumaine to become The Elmer Gantry Band. Later, in the 1970s he fronted Stretch and later still, recorded with The Alan Parsons Project, Jon Lord, Cozy Powell among others.

Photo: Art Regis. Guitarist Paul Brett

Also in June 1966, Paul Brett left to re-join Arthur Brown and the second incarnation of his Paris-based Arthur Brown Set. The group moved on to work in Spain but by October Brett had returned to England where he subsequently joined The Overlanders alongside Laurie Mason (lead vocals); Paul Petts (bass); Ian Griffiths (rhythm guitar); and Brian Middleditch (drums). Middleditch was replaced by Phil Wainman (ex-Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement) around March 1967 for a few months then Vic Lythgoe before splitting in August/September.

Brett then played with The Warren Davis Monday Band from September-December 1967; Tintern Abbey from January-June 1968; (Elmer Gantry’s) Velvet Opera from June 1968-spring 1970 and later Fire and Paul Brett’s Sage.

With Brett gone, Stacey remembers that the band recruited an Australian guitarist called Graham Wilson.

Stacey recalls that the remaining members of The Union – guitarist Graham Wilson; keyboard player Art Regis; sax player Tony Priestland; and drummer Jim Toomey changed name to The Uptown Band and worked at the Cromwellian before linking up with Brett’s former band mate from The SW4, Ralph Denyer when the future Blonde on Blonde guitarist/singer split with his previous outfit, The Rockhouse Band in July.

Thanks to Elmer Gantry (aka Dave Terry), Roy Stacey and Paul Brett for helping with the story

Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

Categories: England, Fulham, London

Arthur Brown & The Machines/The Arthur Brown Union

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Photo: Roy Stacey. The Arthur Brown Union live. Pictured: Roy Stacey, Heather Swinson, Paul Brett, Tony Priestland and Derek Griffiths. Missing from the photo: Jim Toomey (behind Swinson), Art Regis and Arthur Brown

Arthur Brown (lead vocals)

Heather Swinson (vocals)

Paul Brett (lead guitar)

Art Regis (keyboards)

Tony Priestland (aka Tony Crane) (alto sax)

Derek Griffiths (tenor sax)

Roy Stacey (bass)

Jim Toomey (drums)

While still studying at Reading University and recording with The Diamonds, Arthur Brown joined The Swinging Machines around April 1965 (Ed. Arthur Brown says he had previously sung with The South West Five).

Adapting the band’s name to Arthur Brown & The Machines, the band gigged incessantly until November/December, changing name to The Arthur Brown Union in July. During this period, the band was photographed on Putney Heath.

The band minus Heather Swinson outside Brett’s parents’ house in Fulham. Left to right: Brett, Griffiths, Toomey, Stacey, Regis and Priestland with Brown on the floor. Photo: Paul Brett

Stacey remembers that the group opened for The Spencer Davis Group at the Ricky-Tick in Hampshire (possibly Basingstoke) and went down a storm. (Ed. This gig is likely to be at the Galaxy Club at Basingstoke Town Hall on 27 August 1965.)

“There were lots of foreign students. Spencer opened the first and closing sets with The Arthur Brown Union in the middle,” he recalls.

“Once Spencer started up the students left the dance floor moving into the bar. When The Union opened the middle set old ‘Brownie’ introduced us in French then went into medley of up-tempo soul and funk. The dance floor was heaving. They loved us. When Spencer returned for the closing set the students vacated the dance floor.”

The bass player also remembers that Don Arden booked the band for a gig near Manchester but failed to tell them that he’d booked the gig under the name The Echoes, Dusty Springfield’s backing band.

“When we arrived, the promoter looked somewhat puzzled,” remembers Stacey. “To our surprise, Arden had booked us out as Dusty Springfield & The Echoes. We said, ‘Dusty’s ill’, couldn’t come’. Less than pleased he was. We did the gig and didn’t get paid.”

Sometime around late November (possibly mid-December), Arthur Brown departed and Dave Terry (aka Elmer Gantry) from The Impacts took over as front man. The group then briefly worked as The High Society before reverting to the name, The Union.

Notable gigs as Arthur Brown & The Machines: 

8 May 1965 – Galaxy Club, Victoria Hotel, Basingstoke, Hampshire (Hampshire and Berkshire Gazette) Spelt Machenes (says seven piece)

15 May 1965 – Co-op Rainbow Suite, Birmingham with The New Tones and The Taverners (Birmingham Evening Mail)

29 May 1965 – New Brompton Football League, Kent Alloys Canteen, Strood, Kent (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham News) Billed as Arthur Brown and his band so may be a different group

5 June 1965 – Galaxy Club, Town Hall, Basingstoke, Hampshire (Hampshire and Berkshire Gazette) (Says eight piece)

6 June 1965 – Galaxy Club, Addlestone, Surrey (Woking Herald) Opening night

Notable gigs at The Arthur Brown Union: 

27 August 1965 – Plug Hole, Tottenham Court Road, central London (Melody Maker)

3 September 1965 – Plug Hole, Tottenham Court Road, central London (Melody Maker)

13 September 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Melody Maker)

6 October 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)

9 October 1965 – Galaxy Club, Town Hall, Basingstoke, Hampshire (Hampshire and Berkshire Gazette)

13 October 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Downliners Sect (Melody Maker)

20 October 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Downliners Sect (Melody Maker)

25 October 1965 – Pavilion Ballroom, Bournemouth, Dorset (website: https://bournemouthbeatboom.wordpress.com/)

31 October 1965 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex (Sussex Evening Express)

11 December 1965 – Galaxy Club, Town Hall, Basingstoke, Hampshire (Hampshire and Berkshire Gazette) This may have been with Dave Terry although it is billed as with Arthur Brown

Thanks to Paul Brett, Arthur Brown, Roy Stacey, Art Regis and Elmer Gantry (aka Dave Terry) for helping with the story

Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

Categories: England, Fulham, London

The Swinging Machine

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Paul Brett (lead guitar/vocals)

Art Regis (keyboards)

Tony Priestland (aka Tony Crane) (alto sax)

Derek Griffiths (tenor sax)

Roy Stacey (bass)

Jim Toomey (drums)

Guitarist Paul Brett put this band together around February 1965 after playing in The Southwest Four (aka SW4) with future Blonde on Blonde guitarist/singer Ralph Denyer, who’d gone on to play with Rag Men & Women.

Having started out playing with some local groups around the Fulham area, Brett’s first big break had come in early 1963 when he took over from Jimmy Page in Neil Christian & The Crusaders joining Neil Christian (lead vocals); Matt Smith (piano); Jumbo Spicer (bass); and Tornado Evans (drums). He left in June 1963.

The SW4 may have evolved into The South West Five who played at the Ealing Club on 29 November, 6 December and 24 December, but this needs confirmation. The South West Five also played at the Bromel Club in Bromley on 4 January 1965.

Art Regis came on-board after playing with The Impacts but it’s not clear what the other members had done before. Toomey, however, was from the Catford area in southeast London.

Early on it became clear that the group needed a strong lead singer and after bringing in back-up singer Heather Swinson and bass player Roy Stacey (both ex-The Impacts), Brett recruited singer Arthur Brown who was studying at Reading University and had recorded a flexi disc with The Diamonds comprising the Brown sung “You Don’t Know”.

Photo may be subject to copyright

Stacey recalls one gig at Reading University supporting The Nashville Teens where they upstaged the headliners. It’s quite possible that this gig was organised by Brown if he was studying at the university at the time (he’d leave summer 1965).

With Brown joining the group, they became Arthur Brown & The Machines.

Thanks to Paul Brett, Roy Stacey, Art Regis and David Else for helping with the story

 

Categories: England, Fulham, London

The Fairlanes

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Photo: Terry Gore

Jimmy Marsh (lead vocals)

Johnny Grey (lead guitar)

David Beach (rhythm guitar)

Terry Gore (bass)

John Warwick (drums)

The Fairlanes were formed in Fulham, southwest London around 1960/1961 before Gore and Warwick joined and originally had a different rhythm guitarist, bass player and drummer.

Gore and Warwick, who had started out with The Bellairs, heard about the musicians rehearsing at a school in Fulham and went along to check them out. Gore, who’d played guitar previously, switched to bass and another rhythm guitarist called Reg briefly joined before Dave Beach came on board. Judging by the photo above they were a seven piece at one point.

The band played regularly in the London area, including many USAF bases. They also worked across the country backing a number of big stars before breaking up in early 1963.

Jimmy Marsh subsequently formed The Del Mar Trio before joining The Noblemen in July 1966 with future Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre. The band changed name to Motivation later that year.

Gore and Warwick stuck together and formed The Trekkers. They later played in Tangerine Peel.

Please leave a comment below if you can add any further information

Categories: England, Fulham, London

Café des Artistes, Fulham Road, London

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Located at 266a Fulham Road, in southwest London, the Café des Artistes apparently opened its doors around 1960.

Mick Jagger, Keith Richard and Brian Jones briefly lived close by in an apartment in Edith Grove, Chelsea during 1962 but it’s not clear when this small basement club first began putting on live music.

It’s more than likely that the Café des Artistes only featured up and coming local bands.

Also, its close proximity to the Pontiac Club in Putney means it might also have featured some of the same groups.

The dearth of information on this little known club isn’t helped by the fact that none of the local newspapers, as far as I am aware, advertised shows. I would welcome any further information from readers.

Image provided by George Parnell

Status Quo front man Francis Rossi confirms in his book that The Spectres (who morphed into Status Quo) had a Monday night residency here while they were still at school and also played the El Partido in Lewisham. I’ve found gigs for them performing at the latter in October 1965, so it could well be the same time period.

Sax player Dave Brogden who worked with West London R&B band, Wainwright’s Gentlemen, provided the following dates from his diary. Future Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan was briefly a member during this period and also drummer Mick Tucker, who went on to join The Sweet, also worked with this band while Brogden played sax for them.

1964

24 March – The Five Embers (needs source – possibly Melody Maker)

28 March – Millie & The Five Embers (needs source – possibly Melody Maker)

1965

9 April – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary) With Ian Gillan on vocals

16 April – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary) With Ian Gillan on vocals

23 April – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary) With Ian Gillan on vocals, who left after a gig on 26 April

30 April – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

 

7 May – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary) Mick Tucker joined on drums around this time

28 May – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

 

4 June – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

11 June – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

18 June – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

25 June – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

 

3 July – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

9 July – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

 

6 August – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

10 August – Robb Storme & The Whispers (Jim St Pier’s diary)

13 August – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

 

24 September – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

I have been unable to find any gigs for 1966, 1967 and 1968 but I presume it still put on live shows. I have only found a couple of gigs for 1969 below and would welcome any additional information

An article in the Westminster & Pimlico News, dated 25 August 1967, says the group Jon are residents at the club around this time

1968

27 June – Toast (Melody Maker)

 

3 July – Toast (Melody Maker)

11 July – Toast (Melody Maker)

 

31 October – Toast (Melody Maker)

1969

6 February – Toast (Melody Maker)

 

5 June – Black Velvet (Time Out)

An article in the Western Daily Press and Times and Mirror, dated 26 June 1969, says Bath group, The Mirror are residents at the club around this time

Copyright © Nick Warburton.  All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

 

 

Categories: Fulham, London, Sussex

Jimmy Marsh & The Del Mar Trio (July 1964 – April 1965)

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Jimmy Marsh – lead vocals
Allen Bevan – lead guitar
Tony Rowland – bass
Malcolm Tomlinson – drums

The Motivation, 1967 photo
The Motivation, 1967 with Jimmy Marsh (second left) and Malcolm Tomlinson (far left)

Lead singer Jimmy Marsh (b. 9 April 1941, Salem, Carmarthenshire, Wales; d. 13 April 2020) had started out around 1961 with Fulham band, The Fairlanes, comprising lead guitarist Allen Grey, rhythm guitarist David Beach, bass player Terry Gore and drummer John Warwick. The band played US air bases and sometimes backed cabaret acts like Kathy Kirby and Vince Hill.

During 1962, Marsh formed the first Del Mar Trio with lead guitarist Allen Bevan, who worked at Sound City on Shaftesbury Avenue, rhythm guitarist Terry Toatal, plus a bass player and a drummer. On 1 June 1963, the musicians backed Jimmy Marsh on the “Rock Twist Jive Channel Crossing”, a rock extravaganza that took place on-board the Channel ferry, the M V Royal Daffodil, which sailed from Southend, Essex to Boulogne, and also featured Jeff Curtis & The Flames, whose drummer was Malcolm Tomlinson (b. 16 June 1946, Isleworth, Middlesex; d. 2 April 2016).

Photo: Worthing Gazette, December 1964

Bevan and Tomlinson ran into each other again while working at Sound City and around late June 1964 the drummer left The Flames to join Marsh’s band. Tony Rowland, who hailed from Doncaster, completed the second version of The Del Mar Trio, which was formed around the early summer.

After rehearsing between the occasional gig, the quartet headed to the south coast and found work with Bob Gaitley’s Beat, Ballad and Blues agency, working his clubs, the Top Hat in Littlehampton and the Mexican Hat in Worthing.

Cornish gig, January 1965

In January 1965, the group headed to Cornwall for a short tour, which included St Austell and Penzance.

Part of the same Cornish tour, 15 January 1965

The band also played along the southcoast, including in Brighton, appearing there after the Cornish gigs.

Advert for Brighton gig, 23 January 1965. Photo: Evening Argus

Gaitley was impressed enough with Marsh’s singing to arrange for an audition at Abbey Road, which led to the recording of four tracks – “You Know How”, “Pocket Full of Rainbows”, “Like A Baby” and “Haunting Me”, with producer, the late Bob Barrett in February 1965, and listed under the name James Deene & The Del Mar Trio.

Just before the German tour

The band continued to gig around the London area, including in Northwood with The Mark Four and a show at the Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex.

When nothing happened to the tracks, the band signed up for a tour of West Germany and headed off in late April/early May 1965.

West Sussex gig. Photo: Brighton Evening Argus

Over the next year, the band, working as James Deene & The London Cats, underwent various personnel changes, including seeing another former Jeff Curtis & The Flames member, lead guitarist Louis McKelvey join briefly, and would ultimately see all of the members return home except Jimmy Marsh who found work on a US air force base outside Munich.

Around May/June 1966, Marsh was contacted (via the British Consulate) by bass player Bryan Stevens, a former member of Johnny Devlin & The Detours, which had shared the bill with The Del Mar Trio at one of Gaitley’s clubs on the south coast, to join a new version of Stevens’ latest band, The Noblemen. Marsh accepted and recommended Malcolm Tomlison as a drummer. The pair stuck with The Noblemen from June until November 1966 when the band changed name to The Motivation. Working under the new name, The Motivation headed to Rome in late March 1967 and worked at the famous Piper Club but Marsh became ill and returned home.

Tomlinson remained with The Motivation until August when the revised line up changed name again to The Penny Peep Show/Penny Peeps. The band recorded two singles for Liberty in 1968 – “Little Man With A Stick” c/w “Model Village” and “I See The Morning” c/w “Curly, The Knight of The Road”, before becoming blues band Gethsemane in August of that year. After splitting in December 1968, Tomlinson reunited with Louis McKelvey, who’d returned from Canada in July of that year and the pair relocated to Canada in January 1969 where they formed Milkwood.

In 1973, Tomlinson recorded an unreleased album with Rick James & The Stone City Band and two solo albums, issued on the A&M label in the late 1970s.

Many thanks to Jimmy Marsh and Malcolm Tomlinson for information.